Electric insulator for stills



sept. 21 1926.

K G. D. WHITE ELECTRIC INSULATOH Fon sfrLLs Filed ocr. 19, 192s @35% btovn Patented Sept. 21, 1926.

y `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. WHITE, OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR T THE TEXAS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F TEXAS.

ELECTRIC INSULATOR FOR STILLS.

Application led October 19, 1923. Serial No. 669,444.

This invention relates to electric insulators and more particularly to insulators for use on highpressure stills employed in the distillation of petroleum products and the like,

and to means for protecting such insulators from the action of heat so that the insulating material is prevented from deterioration by the heat. I

It has been a problem to properly insulatev electrical conductors used in many chemical and metallurgical industries. Insulators are more or .less of a fragile nature and deteriorate rapidly under high temperatures; the heating of the insulating materials also depreciates their insulating property. Thus in attempting to employ electrically heated stills for the destructive distillation of hydrocarbon oils, the lack of any means for protecting the insulation from the heat has operated as a limitation upon such a method of' operation.

The invention contemplates the spacing of the several insulating members and of the supporting structure so that such heat as may escape from the still cannot be readily transfered from one member to another.

In ther accompanying drawing a particular application of this invention is fully disclosed in which the invention isutilized in connection with the decomposition of higher boiling hydrocarbons into lower boiling ones by means of heat and pressure.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that in the particular example illustrated the apparatus embraces an insulator of the general character of those described in the application of Otto Behimer, filed April 9, 1921, Serial No. 460,112. A portion of a still 1() is shown which is provided with the usual pipes for charging or drawing off oil, but inasmuch as these p1 es form no part of the present .invention t ey have not been shown on the drawing. The still 10 terminates in ahead 12 above which extends a 'pipe 14 having at its upper end an outwardly rejecting flange 16 and an inwardly pro. lect-ing shoulder 18. A stufling box 20 having an outwardly projecting flange 22 is`disposed above the flange 16 and separated 5 tends through the stulling box 20, pipe 14 therefrom by a packing ring 24. Bolts 26v packing ring 42 which is positioned upon` the upper surface of an inwardly projecting shoulder 18. The upper extremity of the insulating member 40 extends somewhat beyond the upper end of the pipe 14 and into the lower end of the stufling box 20. l

A second insulating member 44 is disposed within the stuffing box 20 and is kept from coming in contact with the first named insulating member 40by the enlarged portion 32 of' the electrical conductor 30. The upper end oi" the second insulating member 44 is cut away to form a shoulder 46 and a space between the insulating member 44 and the wall ofthe stulling box 20 is thereby formed. Packing material 48 is placed in this space and a packing gland 50 having an outwardly projecting annular flange 52 is inserted above the packing material and is secured in position by ymeans of extensions Jof the bolts 26 which project upwardly from the 'flange 22 and extend through the flange 52. Pressure can be brought to bear upon the packing material 48 by simply tightening the nuts 54 which are threadedly secured to the uppermost end of the bolts 26.

A third insulating member 56 is partially disposed within the upper end of the packing gland 5() to effectively seal the end.V It is understood, of course, that the three insulating members 40, 44 and 56 have central openings through which the electrical conductor extends.

It will be seen from the foregoing that means have been provided whereby any gases or vapors which may escape from the still 10 are effectively trapped in the space 58 within the walls of the pipe 14. By means of this inert body of gas which separates the insulating member 40,from the intense heat in the still theinsulatio-n is maintained in a relativel and is-Aunaffected bythe eat. The space between the flanges 16 and 22 is provided so that as little as'possible of the heat which may be conducted through the pipe 14 will reach the stuffing box 20 or the insulating material 44. A number of heat radiating surfaces are provided whereby heat cncool ycondition ducted through the metallic structure is continually being given olf to the atmosphere, thus maintaining the insulating material in a 'relatively cool condition whereby its life is prolonged and its effectiveness increased. v

An insulator of preferred form and construction has been illustrated and described for the purpose of showing a way in which this invention may be practiced, but the inventive thought upon which this application is based is broader than this illustrative embodiment thereof. It is, therefore, understood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited by the present disclosure, reference being had to the appended claims for that purpose.

What I claim isz- 1. In combination with a an electrical conductor exten ing into the still and having an enlarged portion at a point above the still, a gas chamber communicating at one end with the still, an insulating member disposed around the conductor and forming a seal for the open upper end of the gas chamber, a stuiing box spaced from and above the gas chamber, means for maintaining the spaced relation between said members, an insulating member disposed in the stuffing box and separated from the rst named insulating member by (pressure still,

`the enlarged portion of the conductor, and

means for securing the second named insu lating member in the stufling box.

2. The combination with a pressure still of a substantially cylindrically shaped chambered member in open communication at one end with the still and having an inwardly projecting annular ange near its opposite end, an insulating member having a vertically disposed central orifice disposed in the' chambered member and supported by the annular flange, an electrical conductor ex tending through said central orifice into thestill and having an enlarged portion supported by the insulating member, a second insulating member spaced from the first named insulating member by the enlarged portion of the conductor, and means for securing the insulating members in position.

3. An insulator which'comprises the combination with a conductor having an annular shoulder, of a pair of tubular members through which the conductor extends, flanges on said tubular members, an insulating member mounted in a recess in one of the tubular members and abutting said shoulder, another insulating member positionedin the other tubular member and abutting said shoulder and formed to provide an annular space between the tubular member and al portion of the insulating member, packing material disposed in said annular space, a gland for said packing material and means for securing the gland and the flanges of the tubular members together.

4:. An insulator which comprises the combination with a conductor having an annular shoulder, of a pair of spaced tubularmembers through which the conductor extends, outwardly projecting annular flanges on the adjacent ends of said tubular members, a packing ring interposed between said tubular members, an insulating member mounted in a recess in one of the tubular members and abutting said annular shoulder, a second insulating member positioned in the other tubular member and having an annular depression through a portion of its length, packing in said depression, a gland for said packing having'an outwardly projecting annular flange, and means cooperating with the flanges for securing the tubular members and the packing gian together.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set may hand and seal this` 13th day of October,

, GEORGE D. WHITE. 

